In times of natural disaster, war, emergency, or other catastrophe, wireless telephone and telephone communications may be severely impacted or totally unavailable. Hurricane Katrina damaged or destroyed landline and cellular services to such a degree that Paul McHale, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense said: “ . . . the magnitude of the storm was such that the local communications system wasn't simply degraded; it was, at least for a period of time, destroyed.” Landline telecommunications were compromised, as much of the backbone conduit for landline service was flooded as were many of the central switching centers. Cellular towers were damaged by wind or ultimately left powerless leaving users without any means of communication.
Following Hurricane Katrina, ham radio operators directly assisted rescue efforts, even in the hardest hit areas, and were credited with saving stranded flood victims in Louisiana and Mississippi. Because natural and other disasters can degrade or destroy traditional telephone systems and wireless cellular networks, ham radio assets may be the most viable method of communication. Ham radio operators have already proven instrumental in providing assistance during disasters.
There have been efforts to establish a national system for emergency response. For example, the FCC has developed such system intended to assist first responders. The FCC's system is based on a 700 MHz band spectrum, FCC recycled UHF television frequencies with a limited spectrum available to first responders. The FCC's national emergency response system depends on trunked radio: a complex type of computer-controlled radio system that uses few channels (the actual frequencies), and can have apparently unlimited talk groups. Trunked radio operates on the premise that given the probability of any number of user units, not everyone will need channel access at the same time. As a result, fewer discrete radio channels are required.
Trunked radio systems have their drawbacks—particularly when utilized in the setting of a large-scale disaster. First, trunked systems can be easily overwhelmed in disaster situations where high-volume emergency use is required. Second, trunked systems do not permit interoperability between different groups or agencies who may respond to a disaster. These two limitations make the FCC's trunked system less-than-ideal for disasters—where there is high volume traffic and where many users—each with different systems—will have a sudden need to communicate with each other. High-profile failures of trunked systems have been described, including the unfortunate abduction and murder of Polly Klass. The California Highway Patrol issued an all points bulletin for the perpetrator; however, that bulletin was not received by officers operating on a different frequency, who were unaware of the bulletin, and released the perpetrator after a routine traffic stop. In that case, the trunked system failed to provide interoperability between departments. Had a system been in place which allowed the all points bulletin to be received by all points—the result may have been different. Other examples of trunked system limitations include Mothers' Day and Christmas where high call volume increases the probability that a call will fail as the result of inadequate trunked long distance capacity. As the result of a busy network, some phone calls are not completed as trunked systems are overwhelmed.
Moreover, the FCC's system requires power-grid electricity, which may, quite predictably, be absent during a large scale national disaster or emergency. Additionally, the FCC's system provides no Internet connectivity, no Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS) gateway access, no long-distance interoperability, and is grossly expensive compared to a system utilizing, in part, a volunteer-based ham radio system.
Therefore, what is needed is a Citizens' Emergency Network that fosters interoperability between agencies and may be utilized to facilitate communication between first responders such as police and fire and medical assets on the ground. What is further needed is a system permitting communication between local police and fire command and control systems and other organizations such as the military or National Guard. What is further needed is a system which may be utilized quickly without the need for years of costly infrastructure expenditures to build a system from the ground up. What is further needed is a system to provide communication between first responders on the ground and specific individuals within the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Federal Emergency Management Agency when needed.